Wednesday, 6 November 2013

According to the UN, approximately 870 million are suffering from
hunger that means one out of eight people suffers from hunger. Hunger is
deadly, killing 2.5million children annually. These children die out of
malnutrition. The rest who do not die are undernourished with vitamin A
deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia and stunting being prevalent
amongst these children. Undernourishment affects not only one’s physical
state but also the ability to maximize one’s potential. The good news
is hunger can be eliminated.

At the heart of eliminating hunger is food security; making food
available, accessible and affordable in one’s country. To achieve food
accessibility and affordability, food must be available first. Food
availability is harnessed by better agriculture production. It is
therefore important to make sure all the determinants of food security
especially those that affect agriculture production are managed well to
minimize if not eliminate its effect. Determinants such as the labour
force in agriculture, the land and ponds, seedlings, tools and equipment
used in agriculture and others when improved would ensure better
harvest to feed population(s). Again, good transportation systems, good
markets conditions etc would also make safe and nutritious food
accessible and affordable for all.

Yet, there is one determinant of food security that renders the
efforts made to minimize or eliminate the effects of the other
determinants mentioned above ineffective. This factor is poor political
condition (political unrest). During a political unrest, farmlands,
infrastructure, irrigation systems, farm machinery, crops etc are
destroyed. Where crops are not destroyed, they cannot be harvested
either as a result of destroyed farm equipment and/or farmers
unwillingness to go out for obvious security issues. Even if these crops
are harvested, transporting the produce to market places to make them
accessible to feed the whole population also becomes difficult for
transportation systems are in worse conditions and where they are not;
insecurity associated with such unrest makes it difficult for one to go
the marketplaces to sell or buy food. With most farms destroyed, little
produce harvested and the inability to market the produce, farmers in a
country going through a political unrest have very low household incomes
to buy other uncultivated foodstuff and essential household
commodities. Again, with little or no food on the market, with shops
closed and people unwillingness to go out for fear of losing their
lives, people are unable to get adequate food to feed the household.

Such is the situation in countries such as Syria, Mali, Sudan, and
Somalia to mention but a few. In Syria today, 46% of its population who
are dependent on agriculture are faced with destroyed farmlands,
infrastructure, irrigation systems, transportation systems etc as a
result of the political unrest. Syria has also been hit by bad weather
conditions. These put together is making it difficult for Syria to feed
her population. Many have been displaced and many have fled their homes
without anything but the clothes on their back as they seek secured
places for their families. Find out more from here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq8Bpc9etgE.
With little or no food production, with shops closed or destroyed with
thousands displaced from their homes and seeking refuge, how can the
father provide food for the family? How can the mother feed her hungry
children? And how can pregnant and lactating mothers filled with fear,
anxiety etc feed their unborn babies and babies respectively.

This is not the time to teach a nation going through such crises how
to fish; this is the time to give fish. For how can we teach them how to
fish when the ponds, fishing nets, boats etc have been destroyed? This
is the time to create a safety net for them. This is the time to help
them survive for we need one another to survive in this world. The world
would not be complete without Syria, Mali and the others. We cannot
watch on as hunger wipes them out for this would make our world
incomplete. Thankfully, the United Nation has set up the World Food
programme and other relief agencies to bring together our collective
efforts to help save the people especially children who suffer the most
from hunger. We cannot go to Syria, Mali and the others to help them but
WFP and these agencies can. Their work is supported by countries,
organizations and individuals like us. Remember, the UN is all of us and
thus need our support. Yes! Your country has supported these crises
but the continuous conflict in Syria, Mali and other places have made
these funding from various countries, organizations and individuals very
little. If countries, organizations and individuals continue to
contribute their little, it can do much. Remember little drops of water
make a mighty ocean. Our little can do much for Syria, Mali, Sudan,
Somalia etc. Let us help WFP to provide fish for these countries and
when peace is finally restored, they can teach them how to fish.

Every child deserves this smile.
Remember, a child went to bed hungry yesterday, would go to bed
hungry today and tomorrow. Again a child died yesterday, would die today
and tomorrow out of hunger and malnutrition. It wasn’t just a child
that went to bed hungry or died; it was the next Steve Job, Oprah
Winfrey, Barack Obama, Ertharin Cousin, Lionel Messi etc. Should such
future prospect not be allowed to maximize his/her potential because of
hunger? Should our world be robbed off such a gem that would have made
our world better than it is now? The answer is obviously NO! Let’s say
NO to hunger. Let’s all join hands in feeding these populations
especially women and children who are the most vulnerable by donating
our little. Visit the WFP and other agencies and make a donation today
to help save a country and a child. Every child needs to eat and be
strong to smile like this child. Every child needs a nourished brain and
body to look into the future with a confidence to maximize his/her
potential like this child. Let’s not deprive a child these. Visit WFP (https://www.wfp.org/) now and make a donation.